At the end of the experiment (11 weeks), HFD-fed sedentary rats had increased body weight (Fig. 1A) and higher epididymal fat accumulation, developing hallmark characteristics of metabolic syndrome, such as significantly elevated fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR and slight dyslipidemia [high-density lipoprotein (HDL), −15%; P<0.05], in comparison with age-matched control-diet-fed sedentary rats. This evidence concerns the gene INS and metabolic syndrome.